PHOTODEGRADATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS IN WATER IN THE PRESENCE OF FE(Ⅲ)-CARBOXYLATE COMPLEXES

摘要

The presence of low levels of natural and synthetic estrogens in the aquatic environment, and their biological effects on aquatic organisms, are presently issues of concern. In this study, we investigated the temporal removal of estrogenic activity of five potent and environmentally relevant endocrine disruptors (EDs), estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), 4-nonylphenol (NP), and 4-octylphenol (OP), in water in the presence of ferric and oxalate ions in a concentric reactor under a 125 W high-pressure mercury lamp (λ ≥ 365 nm). At different time intervals during the radiation, the concentrations of EDs were analyzed using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The photodegradation efficiencies were dependent on the pH values and ferric/oxalate concentration ratios (Fe(Ⅲ)/Ox) in the water, with higher efficiency at pH 3.50 and Fe(Ⅲ)/Ox 10.0/120.0 μmol L~(-1). The initial rate of photo-degradation increases with increasing the initial ED levels from 2.0 to 10.0 mg L~(-1).